Maximum Ride: Forever
by VioletReese
Summary: Everyone wants to know: what happened after the apocalypse? Well, Fang and Max are happy, society is being rebuilt, and... and... What, did you expect me to spoil the story? Sorry, no.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N.: So, I have to apologize up front. I will probably murder Maximum Ride's character and her sarcasm. Sorry in advance.**

It had been a week. And I was still not used to all the changes. The sky, this color of purple all the time. The stars, blinking into existence as our atmosphere lets their light through. Fang. Smiling for once. The flock, alive and safe. Being the only ones left on earth.

Okay, okay. I know what you're thinking. _Who are you and what have you done with Max?_

I swear, it's me. Just... a safer me.

Not just safe. I'm happy. I have my Fang. I have my family.

And there aren't evil scientists trying to kill us.

What can I say, I'm a hard girl to please.

"Max? Max? You listening?" Fang asked as he waved his hand in front of my face. I grabbed it and put it to my cheek.

I smiled. "Hi."

"Hi. Again. Anyway, what do you think?"

I looked up at the purple sky. "It's... weird."

He looked at me with that twinkle in his eyes. "It is, isn't it?" He rubbed my back. "Not quite as weird as wings, though."

Yeah, that's right. I have wings. So does Fang. There's a reason we're called the flock. Keep up.

Fang tipped my head up to meet his lips. We collided in the best way possible, kissing hungrily. Wanting more. We moved in sync, the room seeming to get hotter and hotter and-

"MAX!"

Of course. I slowly pulled away from Fang and saw the disappointment. I turned my head to look at my tree house's intruder.

Nudge stood solemnly, her hands behind her back.

And that's when I knew something was wrong. Nudge and solemn shouldn't be in the same sentence without a negative involved.

"Something's happened," she muttered.

Fang's smile slowly disappeared and his arm was around my waist in seconds. I shuddered at his hand on the small of my back.

"It's Dylan." My heart flipped involuntarily at his name. I knew I didn't love him, but I was still concerned about his safety.

Fang tensed at my side.

Nudge flew down to the Hospital with haste. Fang and I leapt off my balcony together.

My mother, Dr. Valencia Martinez, stood next to a bed that held Dylan.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

My mom looked at me with concern filling her eyes.

"Mom?"

"He's... he's dying."

"Why? What happened?" I asked.

"Because... he has no purpose," one of the Hospital helpers explained. "He was made to love you. And because the felling isn't mutual..."

"He's dying."


	2. Chapter 2

A girl and a woman stumbled through the empty field. The ground was charred and split. Obviously it had been destroyed in the apocalypse.

The girl was supporting the woman and almost dragging her forward.

The girl's pretty face was covered in dust and grime, her ash brown hair in knots. Her light blue eyes were nearing hopelessness.

The woman was also filthy and her black curly hair unkempt. Her eyes were fluttering. Blood seeped down her leg.

"Come on, M-Lisa," the girl muttered, obviously making a choice to change what she called the woman.

The girl couldn't support Lisa anymore and she tried to cushion her fall.

She stripped off her jacket and used it to sop up blood.

At first it looked as if the girl's back was covered in blood. But a closer look revealed that it was not blood.

She had blood red wings.

(-0-)

Angel snapped awake at my side, eyes wide.

She had gotten, I don't know, uncomfortable the night before and had come to stay with me. Just like old times.

Since I had learned she was my Voice, things were a bit weird, to say the least. The kid was getting downright scary with her mind stuff.

BTW, Angel can read minds, just in case you forgot.

"Max," she breathed, turning her big eyes on me. "Listen-"

"Max!" Mom called from below.

"Honey, can this wait," I asked Angel, mentally and emotionally preparing myself for the inevitable talk about Dylan.

"Not really-"

"What is it, Mom?"

"He's awake!"

(-0-)

I followed her with Angel close on my tail (and just if you're wondering, no, I don't actually have a tail. But it wouldn't surprise me if one grew) to the Hospital. This time I wished that, hopefully, I would receive good news.

But with my luck is _terrible._

Fang met us there. "Hey," he said with that smirk that makes my heart flutter.

Angel gave me her I-know-what-you're-thinking look (which is creepy coming from a mind reader).

_Close your eyes_, I thought at her.

I wrapped my arms around Fang's neck and kissed him.

He was taken by surprise at first, but soon one hand was on my waist. The other was on my back, pulling me closer.

I sank into his body and his kiss. This was the life.

I finally understood the whole romance novel thing.

When I sneaked a look at Angel, she was peaking through her fingers. Kids these days.

"Sorry to interrupt," the Gasman apologized as he entered the room, "but there's someone who wishes to speak with you, Miss Ride." He gave a mock bow and I smacked his head as I passed.

Oh, god. Dylan. Wanting to speak with me.

Crap.

I looked to Fang for support, but he had gone so incredibly still that he had disappeared from sight.

I followed Gazzy into the room which Dylan resided. He was sitting up, but he looked like crap.

"You look like crap," were my first words.

Yeah, I know. Very original.

"You don't look much better," Dylan croaked, that perfect smile making an appearance. "And, uh, I think you've got a hickey."

My hand flew to my neck where Fang's mouth had been the night before.

Prior to Angel's sleepover, we had been... catching up. What, with the whole rebuilding society thing, and organizing the mutants, we hadn't had much time to ourselves.

"Shut up," I muttered as Dylan laughed. But his laughter quickly turned to a coughing mess. "Dylan-"

"I'm fine," he said.

He stood up, defying the others' attempt to keep him in bed, telling him that he would puke if he got up.

"Dylan, you've got to rest," I told him. If he wouldn't listen to sense, maybe he'd listen to me. "Go back to-"

Before I could get anything else out, his lips smashed against mine.

Wow, apparently my kisses were coveted.

I quickly shoved him away. Dylan had that familiar sparkle in his turquoise eyes, and he looked stronger already.

In the blink of an eye, Fang had Dylan pushed against the wall. His arm was held against Dylan's throat. "What. The. Hell," he growled.

Dylan only laughed. "Sorry, bro. It's in my programming." He tapped his head. "I'm trying to survive."

"The next time you even touch her, I will-"

"What, Fang? _Kill me_?"

Fang was silent. "I might."

He spread his jet black wings and took off toward the purple sky.

"Fang!" I shouted after him. I glared at Dylan.

"Are you going after him?" he asked.

"Always." I unfurled my wings and shot after Fang. "Until the end."


	3. Chapter 3

Cameron dragged her mom- uh, _Lisa-_ across the hard ground to the edge of the water. She was sweating and couldn't catch her breath. Lisa was unconscious.

Cameron had supported, carried, and pulled Lisa for the last ten miles. She was so hungry that she was certain her stomach would implode at any second. Her tongue was parched beyond recognition.

"Help!" she cried. But it only came out as a squeak. "Someone, please."

She collapsed, not being able to feel her legs anymore. "Help..."

(-0-)

"Fang!" I shouted into the emptiness. I had lost sight of him when he darted into the treetops. "Come on, Fang!"

A strong hand gripped my waist. I looked behind me expecting to see Fang.

But, no. That would have been too easy.

Instead, it was Dylan.

I kicked him in the cheek and flew away, yelling, "Leave me alone, Dylan! I'm a bit busy looking for the love of my life."

"But I'm right here, sweetheart," he called as I glided into the trees looking for my Fang. I shot back up and slapped Dylan across the face.

"Don't call me that."

"Why not, _sweetheart?" _he taunted.

"I'm not your sweetheart."

I shot back into the trees, darting around.

I came across a wildflower-filled clearing. Fang's wings were spread around him.

"Stop running off like that," I told him, as I sat next to him. "It worries me."

"Why?" Fang asked as he took my hand. "It's the only way we end up alone."

"Yeah, not totally."

Dylan landed next to us in the clearing.

"Beautiful, don't you think, Maximum?" Dylan asked. I felt Fang bring his hands into fists.

"Don't call me that, either," I warned him with a steely voice.

"Wow, so I can't call you by your name, and I can't give you a nickname. What am I supposed to call you?" He looked paler from the flight.

I didn't really give a crap at that point. He could rot, for all I cared.

"Let's try Max. Or Miss Ride."

"Oh, don't get all formal with me."

Fang's arm wrapped around my waist and he sat up almost regretfully.

"Don't get all snarky with her," Fang said plainly. "Come on, Max, let's go."

He stood and offered his hand. I took it and we leapt into the air again.

"What are you going to do, Max? Just let me die?" Dylan called after us.

"I'm thinking about ending you myself," I muttered. I didn't say it that loud, but Fang heard me anyway.

We landed gracefully (which of course means I stumbled into Fang's arm rather ungracefully) on Fang's balcony.

"You okay?" he asked as he looked down at me.

"Yeah. Just a bit mad." I smiled up at him, longing for the days when we were at least relatively the same height. I wrapped my arms around his neck with a mischievous smile. "You could, I don't know, help me calm down?"

"I could, couldn't I?" His grin matched mine, a rare sight.

"Max!"

I groaned. "What now?"

Iggy pushed the door open. "Dylan-"

"Say no more. That pain in the butt is going to regret whatever he's done."


End file.
